About Andaman

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands were shrouded in mystery for centuries
because of their inaccessibility. These are the paragon of beauty and
present a landscape full with scenic and picturesque extravaganza.
These islands shimmer like emeralds in the Bay of Bengal. The dense
forest which cover these islands and the innumerable exotic flowers
and birds create a highly poetic and romantic atmosphere. "Here the
white beaches on the edge of a meandering coastline have palm trees
that sway to the rhythm of the Sea. The beat of tribal drums haunt the
stillness and technicolor fish steer their way through crystal clear
water." The scenic beauty of Andaman & Nicobar Islands, would create a
sense of dissatisfaction and the human mind would rebel against "the
whole mass of the motley facts of life".

The Andaman & Nicobar are a group of picturesque Islands, big and
small, inhabited and uninhabited, a total of 572 islands, islets and
rocks lying in the South Eastern Part of the Bay of Bengal.They lie
along an arc in long and narrow broken chain, approximately
North-South over a distance nearly 800 kms. It is logical to presume a
former land connection form Cape Negris at South part of Burma to
Achin Head (Cape Pedro) in Andalas (Sumatra). The flora and fauna of
these islands, however, indicate that this land connection if it
existed, should have been prior to the development of their present
life form.

The History

A clear history of the Andaman & Nicobar Islands can be had only from
a British Survey of these islands conducted in 1777. The Andaman &
Nicobar Islands remained the abode of the Negritos and the Mongoloids
respectively, who occupied the Islands for centuries. These islands
remained secluded from the mainland till the end of the 18th Century
when people from the outside world first arrived. In the Second
Century, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands were located in the maps
prepared by the great Greek astronomer, mathematician and geographer,
Claudius Ptolemaeus, which possibly is the earliest reference to these
islands. The early history of Nicobar is not well known although these
islands were familiar to traders in ancient times, the islands being
situated close to the trade route to the Far East. Though little is
known about Portuguese activities in these islands, it is evident that
the Portuguese missionaries started preaching Christianity among the
islanders. The Nicobarese language also reflects a few Portuguese
words.

The British Regime

The history of the British in the Andaman and Nicobar islands began in 1788 when Lord Cornwallis, the then Governor General of India, thought
of colonizing the islands and instructed Lt. Archibald Blair and Lt.
R.H.Colebrook of the Royal Navy to Survey the islands and submit a
report on their suitability for a British Colony. According to the
recommendation of these two officers the first British settlement was
founded in 1789 on Chatham Island , near Port Cornwallis (Now Port
Blair). After the First War of Independence in 1857, the British
Government thought of establishing a penal settlement here. In March
1858, the first penal settlement was established, with 200 prisoners,
mostly rebels from the Indian Army. Initially the convicts were kept
in a jail at Viper island, which is 15 minutes boat ride from
Port Blair. The island had a jail, gallows, Kutcheri, Doctor's
residence, etc. Subsequently, this Jail was abandoned and the Cellular
Jail at Port Blair was constructed. During the time of successive
Superintendents, E.H.Man, General Steward, and Col. Cadell, the number
of convicts increased and they were subjected to inhuman tortures at
the hands of the British jailors. The foundation of the famous
Cellular Jail was laid in 1896. The building was completed in 1906.
Many changes, both in policy and practice, took place during Colonel
Ferrar's time, which, inter alia, included concession to the convicts,
mainland visit, etc.

The Japanese Regime

World War II brought another series of changes in the life of the
Andamans. During the War, the Japanese occupied Andamans on March 21,
1942 and kept the region under their effective control till October
8,1945 . Initially the Japanese behaved cordially towards the locals,
but became harsh and suspicious after instances came to their notice
of some locals maintaining contacts with the British. As a result a
large number of innocent people were killed. One such place where the
massacre occured is Humfreygunj. But one good result of the Japanese
occupation was making the Andaman Tourism self-sufficient, at least in food production. The naval blockade created an acute food crisis and the
Japanese compelled the local people to bring more land under
cultivation. They also constructed roads. Netaji Subash Chandra Bose
arrived in Port Blair on December 29, 1943 and was given a ceremonial
welcome. He hoisted the National Flag at Port Blair on 30th Dec. 1943
for the first time during the British regime in India . On October 8,
1945 , the Japanese surrendered to the South East Asia Command at Port
Blair. The Government quickly restored normalcy in the area and
started rehabilitation work.

Port Blair, the capital City of Andaman & Nicobar Islands
Port Blair is the capital of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, a union
territory of India. It lies on the east coast of South Andaman Island
and is the main access to every part of Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
Port Blair is a Headquarter of Andaman & Nicobar Andaman and Nicobar
Administration.